We recently camped at Kolob Reservoir in Utah, near Zion National Park. This high-country Utah lake is a great place to come and cool off when the temperatures down in the desert down below begin to reach into the triple digits. Kolob Reservoir is a 50′ deep, 250 acre lake located in a sub-alpine forest, just about an hour’s drive north of Zion National Park. The drive up the mountain to Kolob Reservoir along Kolob Road is very scenic, as you can see in our video below. You do pass through the park, but there’s no entry fee collected for just traveling along this route.
As you make your way up Kolob Road, you first travel through arid sagebrush desert, followed by piñon forest and then pine and Douglas fir, before reaching 7,000′ where you begin to see aspen and alpine vegetation. The elevation of Kolob Reservoir is 8,117 feet, so if you are “flat-landers” like us, you may feel it a bit in your lungs, especially when exerting yourself.
Camping at Kolob Reservoir is By Reservation Only
As we left SH-9 near Virgin, Utah, there was a big portable highway sign displaying the following message: “Camping at Kolob Reservoir is by Reservation Only. Visit ReserveAmerica.com for info“. We originally wanted to find free dispersed camping near Kolob Reservoir, however all of the land just around the water is private property. The campsites are large and generally widely spaced, so even though we had to pay a hefty fee, we still felt as if we were “dispersed camping”.
We paid a whopping $50 for one night of camping in our rooftop tent. I kept checking availability on ReserveAmerica.com to see if we made a mistake and paid a “group rate”, but this was for a single camping spot! It was cheaper than staying at a hotel near Zion, so we went ahead and paid the fee and tried hard not to think about it so much. Prices start at $50, so if you have a group, RV, etc. expect to pay even more than that.
When we made a reservation for camping at Kolob Reservoir on the site, we picked a campground on the northeast side of the lake which looked as if it might have a bit of shade and privacy. As it turned out, the photo we saw after Googling the site number wasn’t of the campsite we booked, yet it was still a nice spot, even though it lacked shade.
Things to Do at Kolob Reservoir
The fishing is reportedly excellent in Kolob Reservoir, and although we didn’t try it (not having a Utah fishing license), we did see some other campers reeling in some nice keeper trout. There are size and bag limits in place. Be sure to check with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website for current regulations. You can find Kolob Reservoir Fishing Rules in their official Utah Fishing Guidebook.
We did bring our inflatable SUP board along, and did some paddling around the lake when the wind calmed down and the surface became smooth as glass in the early morning. The water here is COLD, so we did our best not to fall in! We saw lots of people tubing, canoeing and kayaking, as well as some small fishing boats with outboards. The land around the reservoir is private, so be aware of this if you go exploring.
There is lots of room to jog or walk around the huge body of water. Kolob Reservoir is dog friendly, just be sure to keep your furry friends on a leash and pick up after them.
Stargazing at Kolob Reservoir
The night skies at this altitude (and distance from any large cities) are some of the clearest and brightest you’ll find anywhere in the west. Be sure to bring along a pair of binoculars or a telescope, especially if the weather forecast calls for clear night skies.
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Nearby Attractions – Zion National Park
Just before camping at Kolob Reservoir, we took a scenic drive through Zion National Park, which you can see in the YouTube video below. The park was very crowded when we visited, so we decided to plan a visit to the park for a later date, when things calm down a bit.
Directions to Kolob Reservoir in Utah
Coming From Virgin: From the town of Virgin, Utah, follow SR-9 to the turnoff at Kolob Terrace Road and then continue north for 23 miles.
Coming From Cedar City: If you’re coming from Cedar City, travel five miles up Cedar Canyon on highway 14, then turn right onto Right Hand Canyon Road. Continue for eight miles as the road changes to Kolob Road. Follow Kolob Road for another 11 miles to the reservoir.
After camping at Kolob Reservoir, we headed on east, toward Kanab, where we visited Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. You can read about our tour of this amazing place here.
